


What We Defend

by Olivesips



Category: The Adventure Zone (Podcast)
Genre: Gen, Past Character Death, but they obviously are alive now, just lots of love and protectiveness if not, magnus/taako if you want it to be
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-13
Updated: 2017-05-13
Packaged: 2018-10-31 06:41:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 551
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10893852
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Olivesips/pseuds/Olivesips
Summary: Losing someone you love just once is bad enough. You wouldn't lose them twice. Luckily, Magnus and Lup are agreed.





	What We Defend

**Author's Note:**

> If Taako had died before the beach episode, I think Lup and Magnus would have had their own reasons for staying alert.

             Lup reveled in the warmth of the sand, the soft pinks of the sunset, and the glint of the fading light on Taako’s figure. She had to admit, he was getting pretty good at surfing. Good enough to make it worthwhile to watch him, at least a little longer. She closed her eyes for a moment to try and imprint this in her memory. It was too perfect to exist, too perfect to forget.

            She reopened her eyes at the sensation of sand hitting her back. The moment _had_ been too perfect.

            “Hey, uh, Magnus? This whole sneaking up on us thing only works if you’re _good_ at sneaking up on us.” Lup turned to look over her shoulder at Magnus, who had been trying to army crawl his way over to her. He must have gone at it a little too enthusiastically.

            Magnus frowned at her amused expression. He was standing up now, brushing the sand from his front and striding over to take a seat beside her.

            “Damn. I definitely almost had you, you know. Your guard was so down! Not safe at all, anything could have attacked.” His mouth was set in genuine disappointment, and his eyebrows furrowed. Lup couldn’t help but let out a loud laugh.

            “For God’s sake, Magnus! The whole point of you sneaking up on us is to keep us on our guard, isn’t it? And I was, wasn’t I? You should be happy it’s working.” She gave him a small smile, but there was a bitterness in it. She glanced at Taako, who had fallen off into the water again. It happened less and less lately, but it never failed to make her a little nervous. Not that she’d ever admit to it. Lup returned her attention to Magnus, her voice a little harder than its previously exasperated tone.

            “We shouldn’t have to be on our guard right now, though. We’ve spent plenty of cycles on our guard, spent plenty of cycles watching people suffer and die. Watching some of our _own_ suffer and die.” Her voice breaks at the end, and though her eyes are barely wetter than a moment ago, the intensity of their gaze on Taako tells Magnus all that he needs to know about what she’s thinking.

            It wasn’t that many cycles ago that Taako had died, and although he had been characteristically flippant about it, it was clear that Lup hadn’t taken it with the same levity.

            Magnus supposed she hadn’t dropped her guard since then. He took a deep breath, and released it with a sigh. Neither had he.

            “Lup, why do you think I want us all on top of our game? It’s so that next time,” his voice falters, but he presses on, voice steely, “so that next time, nothing like that happens again. It’s too hard.”

            They share a look for a moment, both in agreement. Yes, it was too hard. Yes, that could not happen again. Yes, they would do what they must to keep that ridiculous surfer boy safe, along with the rest of their family.

            The two of them turned their sights back to the setting sun, neither fully at peace, but both content in knowing that together they would be on guard for the protection of what they held dear.

 


End file.
